If any of you watch as much YouTube as I do, you have probably been bombarded by an advertisement for Audible at some point.
For the longest time, I never really saw why someone would want to listen to a book on tape, as it always sounded super boring to me.
Well, a couple weeks ago, I gave Audible a shot and I have been thoroughly impressed.
To get this started, I have to give some background.
I absolutely hate reading books; I can never sit still long enough to get any decent amount of reading done.
I also find myself thinking that I could be doing something better with my time.
Listening to Audible books has completely shifted my point of view on this, however.
Now I can do the dishes, go for a drive, do laundry, work out or play old video games while listening to my book and probably retain more by hearing it than by reading it.
I know a lot of people think reading is a good way to spend time, but I really can’t sit for hours on end doing only that.
On top of spending my time multitasking, I have found myself getting really invested in the books I’m listening to, because I’m not just picking them up every once in a blue moon.
I am regularly continuing my listening, and having a great time doing it.
I am also a sinfully slow reader, so any average book takes me forever to get through at my pace, but listening to a book has a definite set time that it takes, which really takes a lot of the pressure off.
The first book I listened to was “The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe, which was a required reading for my course on The Space Race.
I was already a fan of the movie of the same name from the ‘70s, so when I found out that the audiobook was read by Dennis Quaid, who starred in the film, I was over the moon (pun intended).
That book got my attention and immediately held it for its entirety.
I am now listening to a couple books for the same class, and I find it so easy to just throw it on in the background of whatever I’m doing in the night, and relax while getting my work done.
Audible really has its system down to a science, as with your subscription, you get one free audiobook a month, something that I was kind of confused about at first, but it makes complete sense in practice.
Instead of being set up like Netflix, where you can watch as many things as you want at one time, by restricting you to one book a month, Audible subconsciously tricks you into listening to one thing at a time.
If all you have is one book, that’s all you’re going to listen to.
Although the subscription is a bit expensive, it really pays for itself if you listen to the books, as normal audiobooks go for a pretty penny both online and in stores.
Overall, I would give the service my full endorsement.
It has taken something that I never did — reading — and made it a prominent part of my daily life.
BENJAMIN HAYLETT
